Monday, December 17, 2007

UNMASKING SANTA CLAUS

Yesterday afternoon, while I was sitting on the bed helping Sofia attach her Winx stickers to the sticker album, I overheard my mother-in-law having a conversation with Jordan...they were talking about sex. I heard bits and pieces and after the conversation Jordan came into the bedroom where I was sitting, walked over to me and gave me a hug. Then, he went over to his little play area and began playing with his toy soldiers.My mil looked at me in amazement and said, "I don't know if what I just said was okay, but when Jordan told me he knew how a man and a woman make love because he read it in a book, I couldn't just leave it at that."*In Italy there is no fourth grade "Health Class"(another HUGE mistake)*This is what my mother-in-law said to Jordan: "Jordan, you know how sex works now, but you need to know that when a man and a woman have sex, they need to love each other and babies come from having sex. A man gives the woman a seed that pairs with a woman's egg and the combination produces a baby."Jordan said, "Yeah but babies pop out after nine months."MIL replied, "But the baby grows in the woman's uterus for those nine months."Then she asked him if the kids at school talk about sex, and he said some kids do and some kids don't.Keep in mind that Jordan still believes in Santa Claus, completely. ALL OF THE KIDS IN HIS CLASS KNOW THAT SANTA CLAUS DOES NOT EXIST. During this period my mil has been trying to tell him that Santa does not exist in the softest way possible by making a game out of it. You see, in my husband's family, while they are not very religious, they celebrate Christmas as a time to be with family. Luca's brother Alessandro dresses up as Santa every year, comes to our home and brings presents to all of the kids in our neighborhood. Even when Jordan received his cochlear implant three years ago on December 23rd, Santa arrived in his hospital room bearing gifts. Alessandro wears this white beard that covers his entire face, so that not even Jordan recognizes him (or wants to recognize him). There is also the tradition of the "BEFANA" in Italy, which is the night of January 5th when a witch flies into town carrying stockings filled with candy and toys for all children who have been good and coal, onions and garlic for those who have been bad. My mil dresses up every year as the BEFANA and Jordan realized that it was her last year...but he won't let go of Santa.The game is as follows: when Santa arrives this year at our home, Jordan gets to unmask Santa before he leaves, obviously not in front of Sofia, because she is five.

I heard my mil say to Jordan, "Jordan if you know how a man and a woman make love, how can you still think that Santa exists?" Ouch, that was a very painful thing to overhear. However it is true, generally a child realizes that Santa isn't real before they discover sex. My child wants to still be a child, that's why he came in and hugged me after that heavy conversation, and I want to be the one to guide his growth into reality - no after-school special or tear-jerker of a movie here- he will be unmasking Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.

On a lighter note, the SANTA CLAUS AWARD this year goes to PIETRINO, THE GAS MAN. Pietrino's was the only gas station that continued to pump gas during the strike because he rationed the gas to 5 euros a car. While all other gas stations filled the tanks to the max, finished their gas and closed shop, he continued pumping and working and satisfying all customers. Hats off to a hard and conscientious worker!

Grazie! 125,000+

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